The Puerto Rico Cotton Fund, an initiative launched at the 2017 Textile Exchange Sustainability Conference, announced that it has raised more than $30,000 for victims of Hurricane Maria. The conference was held last month in Washington, D.C.

The funds were pledged toward immediate aid, emergency micro-grants to smallholder farm families and the development of a smallholder recovery program in Puerto Rico. The fund will remain open until the end of 2017.

After a heartfelt message delivered at the conference by Yanna Muriel Mohan, a farmer and agricultural manager of Visit Rico and the Smallholder Farmers Alliance, attendees were informed of Hurricane Maria’s destructive impacts on organic smallholder farmers in Puerto Rico. Visit Rico is a non-profit organization that aims to strengthen Puerto Rico’s agricultural economy through sustainable tourism. The firm said it aspires to “achieve food sovereignty” for the nation.

Preceding Mohan’s speech, outdoor wear brand Timberland discussed its program, “Timberland x SFA,” that reintroduces organic cotton cultivation with small holder farmers in Haiti. Through the initiative, farmers receive seed, tools and training in return for planting trees in an agroforestry program run by the Smallholder Farmers Alliance, the company said. The model supplied more than 3,200 Haitian farmers with requisite tools for increasing overall productivity on their farmlands. After hearing Mohan’s speech and “connecting the dots,” Timberland launched the Puerto Rico Cotton Fund by making the first contribution toward the cause.

And companies such as Lenzing, Eileen Fisher and Westpoint Home also donated to the fund, among additional donations from conference attendees. In further support of the fund, Textile Exchange allied with Impact Farming, an organization that works with smallholder farmers worldwide to provide scalable business and agricultural solutions for sustainable food production and enables access to credit, markets and other services. Impact Farming is the founder of the Smallholder Farmers Alliance.

Zack Angelini, Environmental Stewardship Manager at Timberland, told WWD, “Connecting the dots between the [Timberland] panel discussion on sustainable cotton and the devastation faced by smallholder farmers in Puerto Rico, we mobilized efforts and used the momentum of the conference to address this pressing issue. Within hours, we had devised a plan to launch the Puerto Rico Cotton Fund, half of which will be dispersed as emergency micro-grants to smallholder farm families and the other half will be used to develop a smallholder recovery program in Puerto Rico including, but not limited to, an organic cotton model that follows the one being used in Haiti.” Angelini added, “It was incredible to see how quickly everyone responded when this opportunity presented itself.”

And Luna Lee, the human rights leader at Eileen Fisher, told WWD, “After hearing first-hand the devastation of Hurricane Maria from farmer Yanna Muriel Mohan, we felt compelled to contribute alongside other brands at Textile Exchange to the organic smallholder farmers in Puerto Rico to make a positive impact. It is a reminder that environmental issues are human rights issues, an area of utmost importance to Eileen Fisher.”

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Pro-Surfer Kelia Moniz and Hailey Bieber in pieces from their collaboration with Roxy, called Sister. ⁣
It’s an apt name for a four-season collection inspired by the pair’s friendship, which was evident as they did their rounds with press, sharing laughs as Baldwin passed a cell phone to Moniz to show her a series of text messages the two then giggled about.⁣
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“We’re friends, but we’re a lot more than that and I think the next step of that is basically sisters,” Moniz said. “I don’t have a sister so I feel like a lot of the girls in my life become sisters.”⁣
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Report: @karihamanaka
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BREAKING: Tom Ford has been elected chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.⁣
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WWD broke the news last week that Ford was in line to succeed Diane von Furstenberg, who has held the job for the past 13 years. Under von Furstenberg, along with Steven Kolb, chief executive officer of the CFDA, the organization has ushered in a period of unprecedented growth for American fashion, followed by the current period of volatility triggered by seismic changes within and outside of fashion.⁣
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Von Furstenberg had succeeded Stan Herman in 2006, who served in the role for 16 years.⁣
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Ford is the 11th person to hold the position (which had previously been titled president until it was upgraded to chairman for Furstenberg in 2015). The roster of presidents has included Herman, Sydney Wragge, Norman Norell, Oscar de la Renta, Herbert Kasper, Bill Blass, Mary McFadden, Perry Ellis and Carolyne Roehm.
Report: Lisa Lockwood
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Victoria's Secret swimwear is back. 👙
The brand eliminated its swimwear line in spring 2016 in an effort to focus on its core lingerie business. But shifting consumer tastes and a movement toward brands that promote inclusivity, such as American Eagle Outfitters’ Aerie, as well as start-ups like Adore Me and ThirdLove, have caused Victoria’s Secret to lose market share.
The move back into swimwear is an attempt to win back some of the lost market share in what had been a $525 million business for the retailer. Victoria’s Secret also said it was now selling swim accessories on its website, such as sunglasses.
Report: Kellie Ell
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Kate Hudson is a vision in red Oscar de la Renta. The actress turned athleisure guru won an award last night for Entrepreneur of the Year for her brand Fabletics.
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Twiggy, who was previously known as 'The Face of the 60s', has taken on another title. Yesterday, she was awarded the Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, at Buckingham Palace for her services to fashion, the arts and charity. The former model wore a stylish white three-piece suit by Stella McCartney and a statement fascinator as she received the prestigious award from Prince Charles.
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Louis Vuitton, whose fall-winter 2019 men’s wear collection drew inspiration from Michael Jackson’s pop-culture legacy, has reacted swiftly to the mounting controversy in the wake of the “Leaving Neverland” documentary.
Virgil Abloh has commented on the Michael Jackson-inspired looks from his fall-winter 2019 for Louis Vuitton. “I am aware that in light of this documentary the show has caused emotional reactions. I strictly condemn any form of child abuse, violence or infringement against any human rights,” Virgil Abloh, men’s artistic director at Vuitton, said in a statement released exclusively to WWD.
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EXCLUSIVE: Tom Ford tapped as new chairman of the CFDA, sources say.
Tom Ford — chairman of the CFDA?
That’s the plan, according to sources, who say that Diane von Furstenberg is ready to step down from the post, with Ford poised to take over. Both the CFDA and Ford declined comment Wednesday.
The move would come after von Furstenberg’s legendary 13-year tenure during which, working with CFDA chief executive officer Steven Kolb, she oversaw a period of unprecedented, heady growth for American fashion and the organization itself, followed by the current period of volatility triggered by seismic cultural changes within and outside of fashion. The CFDA board is due to meet Tuesday to vote on Tom Ford's nomination as chairman of the association. Link in bio.
Report: Bridget Foley, @lisajlockwood .
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